28 great home design shops in Houston

These local experts offer something a little different, decor you won't find in a big-box store.

By Chron.com staff

Photo: Dave Rossman

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RENOVATE

Cathy Robinson has been decorating homes for nearly 20 years, so it's not surprising that her new store and studio space, Renovate, looks as cozy as a house. Located in a residential corner of Spring Branch, the new Renovate shop opened March 25 with painted furniture, linen throw pillows, pottery, books, candles and unique art pieces. It's also a design destination, Robinson's daughter Courtney Robinson Proshaska tells HoustonChronicle.com. 7413 Westview, Suite C, 713-269-4417, renovatehou.com. less

RENOVATE

Cathy Robinson has been decorating homes for nearly 20 years, so it's not surprising that her new store and studio space, Renovate, looks as cozy as a house. Located in a residential corner of Spring ... more

Still enjoying its new location - now with more parking - near Highland Village, Area is a seemingly never-ending treasure trove of items for home. Mixing smaller modern pieces with larger European antiques, the 3,500-square-foot shop is set up in vignettes that are chock full of curiosities without feeling cluttered. The friendly staffers also expertly gift-wrap any purchase, even it's just a $15 bowl or scented Lafco candle. 3735 Westheimer, 713-668-1668.

AREA &nbsp; &nbsp; Still enjoying its new location... Photo-4290188.69068 - Houston Chronicle

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BERING'S

If "beloved hardware store" sounds like an oxymoron, you've never been to Bering's. The Houston institution stocks tools, lightbulbs and cleaning supplies but also features Kitchenaid blenders, Juliska vases, Le Creuset dishes, high-end grills, Ahava bath products, fine china, stationery, home furnishings and about 1,000 other things you never knew you needed. 6102 Westheimer, 713-785-6400; 3900 Bissonnet, 713-665-0500; berings.com. (Please note: an earlier version of this writeup said you could buy civet coffee at Bering's. You can not.)

If "beloved hardware store" sounds like an oxymoron, you've never been to Bering's. The Houston institution stocks tools, lightbulbs and cleaning supplies but also features Kitchenaid blenders, Juliska

The first thing you'll want to do at Biscuit is climb into one store's fluffy beds. That's one of the many attractions of the store, which specializes in bedding, home goods, vintage furnishings and gifts. "Biscuit" is an affectionate term for bed, says Houston native and owner Bailey McCarthy, who offers a well-edited collection of pieces in traditional décor with a whimsical twist. New finds include Ikat throws and pillows, along with a variety of dainty women's jewelry pieces. 2606 Westheimer, 713-942-9797; biscuit-home.com.

BISCUIT The first thing you'll want to do at Biscuit... Photo-5047591.69068 - Houston Chronicle

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BOXWOOD INTERIORS & B2

Boxwood might be the only store in Houston that staffs a full-time florist, just one of the many details that owner Mimi Wadsworth gets just right. Boxwood mixes traditional and modern furnishings - think tufted sofas, lucite tables and Venetian mirrors - and always seems one step ahead of the design trends, making it a decorator favorite. It's also the only place in town to find luxe Farrow & Ball paints and wallpaper. Offshoot B2 opened a few blocks away in 2012. 1839 W. Alabama, 713-528-1501; 1320 W. Alabama, 713-893-0350; boxwoodhouston.com.

Simple and straightforward, Jill Brown's shop is a reflection of her unique taste, a mix of all-American style and European flair. In addition to antique wooden tables, vintage wall prints and stone planters, Brown is known for its array of lighting, with chandeliers and sconces of every material, size and provenance covering the walls and ceiling, including Light Brown, the store's own line of handmade iron light fixtures. The mercantile section is full of home accessories, linens, candles and soaps. 2940 Ferndale, 713-522-2151; shopbybrown.com.

Bucahanan's claims the title of the largest garden center in Texas devoted to the state's plants and organic gardening. But in addition to native flowers, fruit trees and vegetables, it stocks garden accessories and outdoor furniture, with a dedicated space dubbed "the Bungalow" full of birdhouses, gardening books, Crabtree & Evelyn bath products, Cuckoo soaps made in the Houston Heights, fragrances by Archipelago, Fairfax & King candles, Talavera pottery, locally made greeting cards by Seriously Mabel and seasonal decorations. 611 E. 11th, 713-861-5702; buchanansplants.com.

Whether throwing or attending a party, this River Oaks shop is on it. Registry must-haves include crystal, china and silver bearing names like Baccarat, Wedgwood, Lalique, Cristofle, Waterford, L'Objet and Reed & Barton, and personalized stationery offerings from invitations and announcements to calligraphy and RSVP service. Also expect frames and other home accessories, as well as jewelry, leather goods and artful objects. 1966 W. Gray, 713-520-5700; eventsgifts.com.

The quirky, cool kid of the West Alabama design district, Found stocks an eclectic array of unique finds in an airy, unfinished space. High-end antiques mingle with reproductions and modern accessories such as resin tabletop products by Tina Frey and Christopher Spitzmiller lamps, as well as industrial and found items (think a giant ball of barbed wire or a vintage prison cot) reimagined as objets d'art by owners Aaron Rambo and Ruth Davis. 3433 W. Alabama, 713-522-9191; foundforthehome.com.

FOUND FOR THE HOME The quirky, cool kid of the West Alabama... Photo-3035755.69068 - Houston Chronicle

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HIGH FASHION HOME

With a four-story, 125,000-square-foot space in midtown, High Fashion's furniture collection hits on all the current trends for transitional and modern home: tufted, studded, sleek, rustic, industrial, midcentury, Asian-inspired, it's all here. In addition to a dedicated fabric store across the street, the first floor of the store also has a section devoted to women's clothing, jewelry and accessories, while its huge collection of home accessories - throw pillows, kitchen gadgets, vases, books, interesting objects and cheeky gifts - mean almost no one walks out empty-handed. 3100 Travis, 713-528-3838, highfashionhome.com.

HIGH FASHION HOME With a four-story, 125,000-square-foot... Photo-3818052.69068 - Houston Chronicle

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INDULGE DÉCOR

When it comes to French countryside chic, no one in Houston does it better than Indulge, located in a Provençal-style garden and trio of buildings on a quiet street in River Oaks. As the exclusive U.S. importer of French line Blanc d'Ivoire, the store is full of wicker chairs, white wooden furniture with classic lines, linen headboards and more, flanked by appropriately luxe Yves Delorme towels, Sferra bedding and tabletop glassware by Juliska as well as bath products by Marseille and Côté Bastide. 2903 Saint, 713-888-0181, indulgedecor.com.

You can't help but fall in love with Kristal Kirksey's Jubilee boutique, which has been around nearly 20 years. It's a sweet store that every grown-up girl can appreciate with fun gift items, chandeliers, bath and body gifts, and an upstairs area with artsy-chic refurbished furniture and home décor. The vintage-inspired jewelry is a big seller, as well as the store's mix of affordable bohemian clothing. 325 W. 19th, 713-869-5885.

KUHL-LINSCOMB It would probably be easier to list the items... Photo-4775978.69068 - Houston Chronicle

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LIGNE ROSET

While the modern furniture brand is based in France, the West Ave location is owned locally by Adam and Brittany Branscum, with an industrial interior that lets the statement furniture, such as Ligne Roset's famous Ploum and Togo sofas, stand out. 2800 Kirby, 713-630-6500; lignerosethouston.com.

LIGNE ROSET While the modern furniture brand is based in... Photo-5047620.69068 - Houston Chronicle

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LONGORIA COLLECTION

There's a sense of grandness about each stately item in Sylvia Dorsey's chic Uptown Park shop, from the gilded chandeliers and other antique furnishings to the collections of china, crystal and silver and even the luxury linens. 1101-02 Uptown Park, 713-621-4241, longoriacollection.com.

Owner Maggie Hebert's shop is one of the few independent boutiques in the thriving Market Street development in The Woodlands. Rustic and elegant, it features home décor in the front (perhaps an antique dresser with mirrored drawers or Maple Leaf At Home Texas-inspired cutting boards); apothecary items in the shop's midsection (think labels such as Lady Primrose and special blend Maggie's candles); and women's clothing and accessories, including floaty separates and labels such as Alice and Trixie, Simpli, Toms and Donald J Pliner shoes in the back. Decorative items such as coffee table books and art are peppered throughout. 9595 Six Pines, Suite 680, in The Woodlands, 281-419-4464; maggies.com.

Housing more than 50 independent decorators and furniture vendors, across 12,000-square feet and two buildings, Memorial Antiques has items of every style, era and price range. In addition to antiques, there's original art and lighting, midcentury pieces and new finds, all arranged into inspirational vignettes. 8719 Katy Freeway, 713-827-8087; 8731 Katy Freeway, 713-465-6405, maihouston.com.

More Than You Can Imagine is the right name for this consignment boutique specializing in high-end designer clothing and accessories. You'll find more labels than you can imagine, including Alexander McQueen, Christian Louboutin, Valentino and Chanel. Owner Vicki Rizzo knows what's in vogue and is happy to share her thoughts on what will look good on you. 2817 Westheimer, 713-668-8811; mtyci.com.

MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE More Than You Can Imagine is the... Photo-3210883.69068 - Houston Chronicle

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NATIVE CITIZEN

Native Citizen owner Will Shoemaker fashions jet turbines into coffee tables, autopsy tables into bar tops, and metal cylinders into dramatic light fixtures. He also surrounds the industrial-chic look with polished midcentury modern furniture, interesting objects and accessories and colorful abstracts by artists such as Edgar Medina, who has a gallery inside the store. 2311 Dunlavy, 832-368-0754 nativecitizen.com.

From a corner in the old Wagner's Hardware, New Living has slowly expanded its green paint and furniture footprint, both in Rice Village and the Heights. Here you can find nontoxic paint, green countertops and tiles and reclaimed flooring. There's also a selection of reclaimed wood furniture, manufactured on-site, and an organic mattress section in the Heights store. 6111 Kirby, 713-521-1921; 321 W. 19th, 832-659-0123, newliving.net.

PELUCHE DÉCOR Opened earlier this year by TBS's... Photo-5047646.69068 - Houston Chronicle

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REEVES ANTIQUES

Fans of midcentury modern furniture will melt over Reeves Antiques' assortment of home furnishings and antiques. The store features designers such as Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, Eero Saarinen for Knoll, George Nelson, Jens Risom, Adrian Pearsall, and more. It's the place to shop for quirky classics for that home re-do you keep putting off. 2415 Taft, 713-523-5577; reevesantiqueshouston.com.

Whether it's anthropomorphized Alessi kitchen gadgets, the bold lines of Cassina and Kartell chairs, contemporary-cool light fixtures by Flos or the midcentury modern designs of Knoll, Vitra and Herman Miller, you can find them all at Sunset Settings, a local destination for contemporary and modern design. 2610 Sunset, 713-522-7661; sunsetsettings.com.

It's a bit on the craftsy side, but scratch the surface at Surroundings and you'll find funky wood animal sculptures from Guatemala, minimalist glassware from across Latin America, silver jewelry from Taxco, wooden bowls, vintage wooden boxes and glass vases from Egypt, in addition to colorful furniture by local maker David Marsh. 1708 Sunset, 713-527-9838; surroundingshouston.com.

Taking up an entire block in a quiet corner of River Oaks, the grass at Thompson & Hanson does really seem to be greener, with the prettiest flowers, succulents, trees, boxwoods and potted plants on the block, often found in premium Italian terra cotta planters. In addition to the über-popular Tiny Boxwoods café, it also boasts an indoor boutique with the same Provençe-meets-Napa style, stocking European antiques, furniture and home accessories (much of which is outdoor-friendly), plus luxe fragrances, clothing, candles, scarves, totes, jewelry and paper goods. 3600 W. Alabama, 713-622-6973; thompsonhanson.com.

An antiques store that isn't afraid to be eclectic, Vieux stocks one-of-a-kind finds in its oversize showroom, such as a Victorian bookcase with shelves painted a bright turquoise and blond cowhide armchairs mixed in with the starburst mirrors, crystal chandeliers and white wood tables and dressers for a whimsical touch that's very chic. 3701 W. Alabama, 713-626-9500; vieuxinteriors.com.